Life in as few words as possible.

50 Reasons Why I’m Not Watching “50 Shades of Grey”

Please know that I not writing this from a place of judgement, but from a place of conviction. I too, have wanted to read 50 Shades of Grey and watch the movie. I’ve asked myself how, as an avid reader, could I not read this book that has spent so much time on the NY Times Bestseller List? How can I not see this movie that is selling out theaters? But time and time again, as the temptation overcame me and book/movie hype increased, my Heavenly Father gave me a spirit of wisdom and discernment. He used a Sunday School Song, Bible verses, blog posts, statistics, and other Godly women to show me a better way.

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50 Reasons Why I’m Not Watching “50 Shades of Grey”

1. From my childhood Sunday School class, “O be careful little eyes what you see, O be careful little eyes what you see, For the Father up above is looking down in love, O be careful little eyes what you see!” Listen here.

2. “Erotica/porn teaches you to be sexually aroused by looking away from your partner, not toward him. You may be engaging your body with him, but your imagination is with some fictional character. That’s not intimacy.”-Dr. Juli Slattery, Authentic Intimacy

3. “Erotica and porn impact your brain in a manner that breeds tolerance. What was sexually arousing a few months ago will no longer be enough to produce the same sexual high. This is how men and women get drawn into increasingly hard-core porn and/or sexually acting out what they have seen or read.” -Dr. Juli Slattery, Authentic Intimacy

4. “What they may not realize is that books like Fifty Shades sets them up for rejection. Just like a woman can’t compete with the porn her husband is looking at, a man can’t compete with a fantasy man like Christian Grey.” -Dr. Juli Slattery, Authentic Intimacy

6. Good media discernment is about guarding our eyes and hearts before we watch or listen. Plugged In.

7. “Evil’s primary attack on sexuality is to simplify it—to separate the physical act of sex from human love and divine design. Every time sex is abused or distorted as it is in erotica, the physical act is split off from the relational and spiritual elements of sex. Erotica is aimed at awakening your physical sexual desire without any connection to emotional, relational, or spiritual reality.” -Dannah Gresh, Pure Freedom

8. “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will.” -Romans 12:2 (NIV)

9. “The Bible has said for thousands of years that lust is hurtful and harmful. Guess what? Biopsychologists and others are studying the effects of lust, pornography, and erotica on the brain and the body. They are finding that the Bible was, in fact, right. Over time your body becomes conditioned to self-stimulation and gratification. It’s not just a preference. It’s physiological. The lust cuts a literal pathway in your brain tissue that’s kinda like a rut. A rut you better be prepared to get stuck in. While at first a little bit of erotica might give you a taste for your spouse, overtime that rut reminds you how great you are at self-stimulation and how powerful your imagination can be. You’ll become less interested in real sex with your husband. (Both SELF magazine and The New Yorker ran articles on this phenomenon in recent years. They both suggested that if you want to have a great sex life, you better push pause on porn!) The fact is, erotica robs you of real sex. It’s not good for your marriage or future marriage.” -Dannah Gresh, Pure Freedom

10. “I believes Christian and non-Christian women seek out the book for the same reason: they want the passion that exudes from the pages to happen in their real lives, especially if their emotional needs and even sexual needs are not being met in their real life relationships. Women should turn to God instead. Without a genuine relationship with Christ, it’s our belief that women will continue to seek satisfaction for their emotional needs in places that just won’t ever fully satisfy.” -Crystal Renaud, Dirty Girls Ministries

11. Christian blogger and professor Mary Kassian writes that “the relationship between a man and wife is to mirror Christ’s relationship to His Bride” and “Christ is not into domination, control, abuse, and humiliation.” She also objects to heroine Anastasia Steele’s submissive role: “the Lord doesn’t want His daughters to be wilting, weak-willed, wimpy women who welcome and enjoy abuse.”

12. “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things.” -Philippians 4:8 (NIV)

I know the blog post title said, “50 Reasons Why I’m not Watching 50 Shades of Grey” and I only provided 12. I did that on purpose. I want to hear from you. Why aren’t you going to see the movie? Why didn’t you read the book?

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Does this post make you mad?
These are my personal convictions. Get on your knees and talk to Jesus. Ask him for his direction in your life. Can you picture him in the theater next to you? I’ve had to ask myself this question.

Did you have a change of heart?Praise the Lord! Dannah Gresh and Dr. Juli Slattery have written a book called, Pulling Back the Shades and now women from around the world are invited to mail in their copy of Fifty Shades of Grey. In exchange, they will mail you a copy of Pulling Back the Shades for free! This book addresses God’s design for intimacy, and shows why erotica is exploiting women’s longings rather than satisfying them. It also addresses questions women are unsure where to go for answers, and talks about how you can be a sexual and spiritual woman.

A Thought to Ponder…Women are driving these book sales. Women are buying these movies tickets.
What if women spent their time campaigning for something good, something pure, something worth our energy and effort? The possibilities are endless. Women truly hold up “half the sky.”

I totally agree with you, Jenna. I was a really young girl when an older guy was trying to gain my attention and, without fail, I started to really like him. Little did I realize at 14 years old how a man could hold so much of my mind. Now that I look back, it truly was more of an infatuation for me. Thank the Lord it never progressed to an intimate level, although it easily could have. It just goes to show how a young girl’s mind, and ALL women for that matter, can be so easily persuaded by this movie… thinking that this kind of treatment and behavior from a man is acceptable. It’s NOT! It’s not the way GOD intended for a man and woman to be. Any person with a Godly relationship with The Lord should feel very convicted over this movie. I know my convictions are very strong and as I read maybe a 3rd of the first book, I found myself overly depressed for the young girl. I was saddened by her humiliation… her acceptance of his actions… and then of her wanting more of that type of treatment. It made no sense to me. This is NOT love. I had a hard time aligning myself with her thinking. I didn’t finish the book because it became filthy to me. The Holy Spirit spoke to me and told me, “I am a Princess… a Daughter of The King… and this kind of treatment by any man is unacceptable.” My love for the Lord has made me crave more of His Word than the acceptance of this world. I’m proud of you for making your claim to Faith and I will stand with you as His Princess. Walking the walk of everlasting Faith. Love you sweet girl! Jodi

This is incredible. It’s always nice to see Godly women standing up for their God given rights. Women were made from the rib, which is under the arm and closest to a mans heart, which is responsible for pumping our precious blood to the body, with out which we die. God meant us to keep you beautiful women there, close to our chest to, not only love and cherish you, but to trust you with thr protection of our heart. If only more women held themselves to they same standards that God does we wouldn’t need this smut to fill the holes left in their souls.